1The Circus William Saroyan Any time a circus used to come to town, that was all me and my old pal Joey Renna needed to make us run hog-wild, as the saying is. All we need to do was see the signs on the fences and in the empty store windows to start going to the dogs and neglecting our educations. All wee need to know was that a circus was on its way to town for me and Joey to start wanting to know what good a little education ever did anybody anyway. After the circus reached town we were just no good at all. We spent all our time down at the trains, watching them unload the animals, walking out Ventura Avenue with the wagons with lions and tigers in them and hanging around the grounds, trying to win the favor of the animal men, the workers, the acrobats, and the clowns. The circus was everything everything else we knew wasn’t. It was adventure, travel, danger, skill, grace, romance, comedy, peanuts, popcorn, chewing-gum and sodawater. We used to carry water to the elephants and stand around afterwards and try to seem associated with the whole magnificent affair, the putting up of the big tent, the getting everything in order, and the worldly-wise waiting for the people to come and spend their money. One day Joey came tearing into the classroom of the fifth grade at Emerson School ten minute late, and without so much as removing his hat or trying to explain his being late, shouted, Hey, Aram, what the hell are you doing here? The circus is in town. And sure enough I’d forgotten. I jumped up and ran out of the room with poor old Miss Flibety screaming after me, Aram Garoghlanian, you stay in this room. Do you hear me, Aram Garoghlanian? I heard her all right and I knew what my not staying would mean. It would mean another powerful strapping from old man Dawson. But I couldn’t help it. I was just crazy about a circus. I been looking all over for you, Joey said in the street. What happened? I forgot, I said. I knew it was coming all right, but I forgot it was today. How far along are they? I was at the trains at five, Joey said. I been out at the grounds since seven. I had breakfast at the circus table. Boy, it was good. Honest, Joey? I said. How were they? They’re all swell, Joey said. Couple more years, they told me, and I’ll be ready to go away with them. just north of the Country Hospital. Why didn’t you tell me? I said. It was the memory of that strapping old man Dawson had given me. Circus? old man Dawson used to say. or something like that? I guess maybe not as a lion-tamer. Nothing. They used to threaten to send me and Joey to Reform School but they never did it. Boy. would bend down and old man Dawson would get some powerful shoulder exercise while we tried not to howl. but I didn’t know it at the time. urged us politely to try to make a little less noise. Well. old man Dawson said. out near the Country Fairground. We can’t help it. I hadn’t really forgotten. I figure more like a workman till I learn about being a clown or something. headed for the circus ground.2 As what? I said. first Joey. on account of we wanted to be fair and square with the Board of Education and if it was against the rules to stay out of school when you weren’t sick. I see. after our visits got to be kind of regular. I guess. well. but I didn’t know it at the time. sausages. We used to take them strapping kind of for granted. What made you forget? I don’t know. bend down. It hurts. then me. Just try to modulate that awful howl a little. boy. They did that with a strapping. coffee. . That I know. I don’t figure I could work with lion right way. what a breakfast. I would have told you if I knew you’d forgotten. That was the thing that had kind of kept me sleeping after four-thirty in the morning when by rights I should have been up and dressing and on my way to the trains. Lion-tamer. We wouldn’t howl for five or six licks. we’d done it. and if you were supposed to get strapped for doing it. I believe a lad can overdo his howling if he ain’t thoughtful of others. I said. They’re trying to learn something for themselves. inasmuch as it was a school and people were trying to study. I’d gone to work and remembered the strapping Dawson gave me last year for staying out of school the day the circus was in town. I think you can do it. They used to be able to hear us all over the school and old man Dawson. I thought you’d be down at the trains same as last year. but it seems to me there’s such a thing as modulation. What I’d done was remembered. We were out on Ventura Avenue. so let the Board of Education balance things the best way they knew how. ham and eggs. Boy. me and Joey. there we were. I guess. Joey said. I was wrong there. old man Dawson said. Circus. So. Joey said. It ain’t fair to the other. Hot-cakes. but after that we’d howl like Indians coming. Joey said. Dawson. hushing Joey. I’ll only ask you to try to modulate it a little. Joey said. Mr. I’ll do my best. Aram? It’s awfully embarrassing to go back to our seats in our room after howling that way. I’ll not be unreasonable. How was that? Joey said. I’m not twenty-three years old. By far the most courteous you’ve managed yet. Aram. Well. Give a man a chance to get his breath. what did you expect? The rest of you would fall down and die if you got twenty. I said. giving us dirty looks? Joey said. Aren’t you lads exaggerating just a little? Perhaps to impress someone in your room? Some girl. When he got his breath back he gave me my twenty and I howled a little louder than Joey and then we went back to class. We’d rather not howl if we could help it. I said. A circus comes to town and what do they do? They come to school. Got your breath back? Give me just a moment longer. Does it really hurt that much? You can ask Joey. . perhaps? We don’t howl to impress anybody. Let me rest a minute. I did my best. You wouldn’t howl a little. They’re all scared. he said. Miss Flibety said. Joey? old man Dawn said. Well. Joey said. Everybody was looking at us. Howling makes us feel ashamed. Dawson said. That’ll be enough.3 Then he gave Joey a strapping of twenty and Joey tried his best not to howl so loud. I moved up to the chair in front of him that he furnished during these matters to help us suffer the stinging pain. Wait a minute. Miss Flibety lifted her hand. We wouldn’t howl if we could help it. Joey said. All right. Who do they think they are. Miss Flibety said. Folks passing by in the street are liable to think this is a veritable chamber of tortures. Don’t howl too loud. After the strapping his face was very red and old man Dawson was very tired. but I sure would like to get this over with. I got in the right position and he said. They don’t go out to the circus. That’ll be enough out of you. Well. Aram. old man Dawson said. I said. Dawson. That was better. How about it. Joey said. I’m sixty-three. it’s true. It was awfully embarrassing. old man Dawson said. I’m grateful to you. Mr. I said. Mr. He was tried and out of breath. old man Dawson said. doesn’t it. you’d die. Only this time it was worse than ever because they’d seen us at school and knew we were going out to the circus. We stood around and watched. Everybody was busy when we saw Stafford. I said. When we got out of the grounds a couple of the little tents were up. As the boys lift the pole and get it in place you keep pulling the rope. sir. He handed me and Joey a rope. We can’t run now. Here. I’ll tell you what. Yes. Doing it with style. then we’ll run. Do you think they’ll send Stafford after us? I said. It was great the way they did it. you go another. At least one of us will get away. he said. Yes. I’ll go one way. This is going to be easy. it was April again. We’ll tell him we’ll go with him after we get the canvas up. Joey said. You didn’t feel that he was small. We told Red we’d give him a hand and we’re going to do it. Joey said. All right. The rope was attached to some canvas that was lying on the ground. you Arabs. Joey said. He was a small man with very broad shoulders and very big hands. I said. sir. All of a sudden a man everybody called Red hollered at me and Joey. Joey said. Stafford was the truant officer. so wreck it is. We can always run.4 Now the circus was back in town. because he seemed so powerful and because he had so much thick red hair on his head. Me and Joey ran over to him. You though he was practically a giant. If he comes. . All right. and we were on our way out to the grounds. Should the one who isn’t caught give himself up or should he wreck Stafford’s Ford? I vote for wreck. Red said. I said. Suppose one of us gets caught? Well. Joey said. Let him come. I said. Just a handful of guys who looked like tramps doing work you’d think no less than a hundred men could do. He can’t chase both of us. so the canvas will go up with the pole. let’s see. too. I said. and the big one was going up. Joey said. another year had gone by. give us a hand. So do I. Old man Dawson was waiting for us. come along with me. boy. Joey said. Then I went back to the big tent and found Joey. anyway. Here they are. We haven’t so far. too. well. No. He can’t catch you. We’ll come just as soon as we get this canvas up. Red was hollering orders. then twelve. He’s soft. I figured. I got away. if you like.5 Stafford was a big fellow in a business suit who has a beef-red face and looked as if he ought to be a lawyer or something. or if he was going to invite us to sit at the table for lunch. We were pulling for all we were worth. Thirty? I said. Give him a good run. Joey said. maybe. though. Miss Flibety didn’t even let us sit down for the roll call. Mr. He was very sore and he was cussing. Take them away. Maybe. Joey said. here’s where we go to Reform school. We’ll get it this time. We promise to give Red a hand. the afternoon one and the evening one. that’s tomorrow. Joey said. and then the whole thing was over and we had done our part. I got home real late. We talked to some acrobats who were Spanish. We saw both shows. He needs the exercise. He came over and said. I guess it’ll be Reform school this time. Dawson said to Stafford. Stafford was there. I said. All right you hooligans. and you think you’ll start crying on the next one. It was swell. and stayed low until I saw him drive off in his Ford. Seems like ten can make you cry. They were waiting for us. then you hold off till it’s eleven. taking the circus to pieces again. too. He ain’t exactly a weakling. Run. Oh. and very sore. Ouch. run. She just told us to go to the office. Joey busted loose and ran one way and I ran the other and Stafford came after me. Thirty’s a lot of whacks even if he is sixty-three years old. and then we helped with the work. I could hear Stafford. and to a family of Italians who worked with horses. but you don’t. Maybe we will when it’s thirty. Me too. I guess it’ll be thirty. We didn’t even get a chance to find out what Red was going to say to us. . We’re going to do some awful howling if it is. and then home. slipping and falling. too. The men were all working hard. That’s liable to make me cry. I heard the circus men laughing and Red hollering. Well. Red gave us some more work to do around the grounds and let us sit next to him at lunch. I said. or what. then we went down to the trains. In the morning I was sleepy when I had to get up for school. but we couldn’t say it. but I’m sure this is the time it goes up to thirty. I said. because it was the easiest strapping I ever got. I’m awfully grateful to you boys. for modulating your howls so nicely this time.6 It was easy to tell they’d been talking for some time and hadn’t getting along any too well. I said. and try to modulate your howl. It was the most modulated howl I ever howled. sir. as I was afraid I might. Must be eleven or twelve. old man Dawson said. I counted them and there were thirty all right. In this school. Old man Dawson seemed irritated and Stafford seemed sore at him. but they didn’t hurt. Joey said. He just left the office. Yes. Joey said. I don’t want people to think I’m killing you. Then we went back to class. Dawson said. old man Dawson said. . old man Dawson said. Take a good hold on the chair. I’ll do my best. a funny thing happened. I’m sure of one thing. the sixteenth or the seventeenth? It ain’t that many. Mr. I can’t stop you from taking them to Reform School. though. Nobody else. I do any punishing that’s got to be done. Who’s going to be first? Me. I think the next one is the one you’re supposed to make thirty. Let’s see now. No. How was it? We had lunch with them. because he smiled in a way that gave us an idea he knew. lads. We wanted to thank him for giving us such easy strappings. Stafford didn’t say anything. but it was a modulated howl. Joey said. He gave me thirty all right and I howled all right. Well. This is the time I’m supposed to make it thirty. brace yourself. I think he knew the way we felt. old man Dawson said. Well. What offense is this. It was the same with Joey. though. Mr. Aram. so I didn’t cry. We stood together waiting to be dismissed. Well. but thirty’s an awful lot. All right. we’ve lost track somewhere. It was swell because we knew everything would be all right till the Country Fair opened in September. Dawson said. old man Dawson said.